DP ARTS: JAZZ REVIEWDave Brubeck Quartet,Philharmonic Hall,Liverpool.

Byline: STAN WOOLLEY

DAVE Brubeckis one of a handful of jazz musicians to achieve bothcriticalacclaimand popular success. He was also one of the first jazz pianists to experiment with unusual time signatures and often improvised in two keys at the same time.

With the latePaulDesmond's gentle, introspective saxophone also contrasting in the leaders'shard-swinging, percussive piano style their music caught the imagination of the younger jazz fans and Brubeckbecameone of the first groups to play on the UScollege campus circuit. Although Brubeckis now 82,once settled on the piano stool the years just seem to fall away as he powered his way through numbers like On TheSunnyside of the Street and I've Got Rhythm. His improvisational passages are quite breathtaking and usually start off with single note figures before delving into the harmo-nies with tight,deeply probing locked-hands chords.

A fine example of this was his own composition London Flat London Sharp which alsofeaturedaltoist Bobby Militello. But there is a mellow side to Brubeck's music and this is to be found in his religious compositions. One such was The Desert And The ParchedLands, a tranquil, pastoral piece from his Mass To Hope which also included some fine bowed-bass passages from MichaelMoore.

Teasingly, the audience had to wait until almost the end to hear quirky classics such as Unsquare Dance and TakeFive, the latter featuring a spectacular solo from long serving drummer Randy Jones.

Brubeckand his group received a standing ovation. Never was one more richly deserved.

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LEGEND: Brubeck